The Tambaro of Ethiopia

The Tambaro of Ethiopia, numbering approximately 160,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Cushitic-speaking subgroup closely related to the Kambaata of southern Ethiopia, whose homeland once formed part of the historic Kambaata kingdom before its conquest by Emperor Menelik II in the late nineteenth century. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Kambaata is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Tambaro

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Horn of Africa Peoples
Country: Ethiopia
People Cluster: Sidama
Primary Language(s): Kambaata (ktb)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 160,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG011648
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Pray for the Tambaro of Ethiopia

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

76%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kambaata
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%
%
Kambaata Speakers

Media Resources in Kambaata:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
JESUSView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Kambaata:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Bible Society of Ethiopia✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Kambaata bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Tambaro are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Tambaro:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Tambaro of Ethiopia

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
readMatthew 5:44-45

Pray for those who don't know Jesus to encounter believers who are kind and compassionate and that their imitation of Christ will serve as a testimony that attracts lost people to Jesus.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
readMatthew 13:23

Pray that their hearts will have good soil that receives the Word, understands it, and bears fruit for God's kingdom.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
readPsalm 130:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will wait on the Lord and have patience and trust, knowing His ways and His timing are always perfect.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
read2 Corinthians 1:11

Pray that many people will join in praying for the spread of the gospel here, and that God will answer these prayers by drawing more people to Himself.

Timbaro Across Countries (ROP3 - 115963) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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